


Child of Courage

by ShadowFang01



Series: Hero of Courage [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hero of Courage, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overprotective Farore, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Wild (Linked Universe)-centric, au within au, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowFang01/pseuds/ShadowFang01
Summary: When Link died that day, it was the final straw. Tired of watching him suffer due to Hylia's failed guidance, Farore decides it's time to intervene and take the young hero underneath her care.Or: Farore adopts Link from BOTW; featuring the Linked Universe AU.
Relationships: Flora/Wild (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Hero of Courage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981984
Comments: 20
Kudos: 301





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone. This is my first fan story, but I hope you all still enjoy it.
> 
> Edit: Fixed some typos.

Destruction was approaching Hyrule, which meant it was once again time for the goddess to choose another hero.

When she led the boy towards the legendary sword, she could hear the concerned whispers of the ones that questioned her decision. Hylia understood why they all were worried. The one she had chosen was still nothing more than a mere child, one much too young to even wield a sword. She knew this, really she did, but she also knew that he was the right one. Even before he stepped before the divine blade, she could sense the hero’s spirit that radiated within him. Then, as the Master Sword shined brightly within his hands, she knew instantly that he was destined for greatness.

From the moment Link pulled the sword, Hylia watched as her hero quickly began his training. It brought the goddess some comfort to know that he was being properly trained. When previous heroes had begun their adventures, nearly all of them had never even held a blade before. This time, she was going to make sure that her hero was well prepared before the time for battle came. However, Link’s training was far more strict and harsh then she had predicted and she felt her heart ache each time she watched.

Hylia wasn’t the only that ached for the young hero. Though the Golden Goddesses never intervened with Hylia’s plans before, this time they made their concerns known with the youngest of the trio being the most vocal. Seeing just how much Link was suffering, Farore would often scold her for allowing him to go through such harsh treatments. Each time she did, it was like a knife stabbing Hylia through her chest. She tried to reason that it had to happen, that he needed to be ready. Unfortunately, that only seemed to anger the goddess of courage more, and while the other two gods attempted to calm their sister, Hylia was left alone to comfort herself.

_ She was right, wasn’t she? _

_ He needed to be prepared and this was the only way..., right? _

Sadly, her answer came sooner than expected....

Calamity Ganon had broken free, unleashing his power upon the land. The goddess thought that her hero was ready. She thought that her only worry would be if her descendant would be able to awaken her powers in time, but she was wrong. So horribly wrong. She didn’t know how she didn’t see it. Never once did she even stop to consider that he could’ve had his own plan. But now it was too late, and the goddess could do nothing except watch in horror as the events played before her.

The champions were dead...

Ganon’s corruption was spreading...

Hyrule was being destroyed...

But most of all... her hero had fallen...

For Farore, that had been the final straw. She could forgive choosing the hero too early, and she could understand wanting to push someone to be their best. However, watching the young boy suffer only to have fall to an untimely death was going too far.

When Link was placed in the Shrine of Resurrection, Farore sent her winds to block anyone from entering the chamber. Hylia pleaded with her, begging for allowance to help him, but Farore stood firm.

“Have you become so blind that you cannot see what you’ve done?” Farore snapped, causing the younger goddess to flinch in shock and confusion. “Do you truly not realize how much this child has suffered because of the weight you placed on him? Why are you even trying to heal him? Is it because you care or is it just because he has the hero’s spirit?”

“Of course I -” Farore did not let her finish. “We have watched over you for centuries and have seen the trials your heroes have gone through. We never intervened before because we trusted your judgment. However this time we- no, I should’ve stepped in a long time ago. This child has suffered much worse than any of his predecessors... and it will take a great amount of time before his heart can heal...” Farore paused as she turned her gaze towards the lifeless body. “Which is why I will be the one to watch over him.”

“Wh-what do you mean?" Hylia asked confusedly.

“Exactly what I said." Farore stated while slowly rising her hand towards the hero and allowed her magic to flow around him. A small, sad smile formed on her face when she saw him slowly take a breath as life began to return into his body. "Though I cannot hold you accountable for Ganon's actions, you still played a part in this child's pain. So, until you learn from your own actions, I am taking this child away from you."

"WHAT!?" the younger goddess exclaimed "Y-You can't! He's mine! I am the one that watches over all the heroes! You have no right to-"

" **ENOUGH!!!** You are acting like a child! This is exactly why I am taking him away." Farore snapped. Only when Hylia stayed quiet that the golden goddess took a breath before continuing. "I won't deny that the hero's spirit belongs to you and I will still allow you to guide him, only to a point however. Not until you have learned and the hero has forgiven you will you be able to reclaim again. My word is final." And with that, the golden goddess disappeared to return to her sister's sides.

And once again, Hylia was alone as tears fell from her eyes. For she had just lost her hero, not once, but twice in a single day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos! Also thank you for being so patient. I wanted to post sooner, but ended up having to rewrite this chapter so many times.

When Link first opened his eyes, it felt like he was waking up from a deep dream.

Pushing himself up, he gave the unusual room a slow glance over. He could hear someone talking to him, pointing his attention towards a strange pedestal in the corner of the room. It was telling him to take... something, Link didn’t quite understand. With unsteady steps, he moved forward and took hold of the mysterious device; carefully turning it over in his hand as he examined it before hooking it on his belt. As he made his way outside, he wondered why he couldn’t remember the voice he heard, despite it sounding so familiar.

The world outside was so much larger than he was expecting. Standing by the cliff side, he gazed out at the lush green forest and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. Everything felt so alive and the itch to explore it all grew stronger with each passing second. With one last glance, Link turned away from the cliff to begin his climb down the dirt path; unknowingly beginning the start of his new adventure.

* * *

Something was watching him; he could feel it from the moment he stepped out of the cave. At first he thought it was the voice that called to him when he awakened, then he thought it might have been the strange old man that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. But it was neither.

There was something different about its presence. It felt powerful and divine, yet it had a gentleness to it. The old man seemed to believe that it could be the goddess watching him, though that was true in a way, Link knew it wasn’t her. He had felt the goddess’s presence when he first entered the ruined temple and it was very different. While the unknown presence made him feel warm and safe, the goddess made him anxious and bitter.

He heard the hesitation in her voice, like she was unsure about something. It made him question himself. Was it him that she was uncomfortable with? Had he done something wrong to upset her that he couldn’t remember? She had called him her hero, yet the way she said it felt wrong to him.

Thinking back to the other presence, Link thought about how much more welcoming it was to him. It embraced him in a warm aura as it guided him around the plateau, both teaching and allowing him to learn on his own about how to be alive in nature. There were even times where Link thought it was singing to him, where he could almost hear a soft humming on the breeze. It relaxed him.

However, Link questioned if it was right for him to find comfort in a mysterious presence rather than with the actual goddess herself.

* * *

Something cracked within him...

He didn’t notice it at first. After talking with the ghostly king, Link had followed his instructions to seek out the person called Impa, hoping they would be about to answer his questions. Unfortunately, speaking with the old woman didn’t go how he would’ve hoped.

Learning about some of the truth of his situation had triggered something in his mind.

It felt like he had woken up just yesterday, yet he was suddenly being expected to save an entire kingdom all on his own. Guilt soon began eating away at his heart as he wondered how many innocent people had died during his hundred years of sleep. Was this the reason Hylia was so hesitant to call him her hero? Because he was some kind of failure? It made sense. That’s why she hated him; he failed to perform his duties and allowed the Calamity to take hold of the kingdom. Because of him, Zelda had been struggling on her own to keep Ganon from escaping for so many years. And he didn’t know how much longer she would be able to last.

He needed to make things right.

No matter what it took, he will free both her and the kingdom.

* * *

Link wasn’t sure if it was the goddess or the mysterious presence, or both, but someone had sent him a friend.

It was shortly after leaving Kakariko when the strange beast began following him. At first, Link was weary of the abnormally large wolf. Even with his missing memories, he knew how dangerous it was to allow one close to him. So, it surprised him when the wolf did nothing more than simply follow him around for a few days before Link realized it didn’t mean any harm. After the wolf fought beside him against some lizalfos, Link invited it to come spend the night with him.

It felt nice not having to be alone for once, and the wolf was proving himself to be a great companion. Besides simply following Link around, the wolf actually assisted when it came to hunt for food, fighting against monsters and the Yiga, and even searching for shrines. It even allowed Link to use him as a pillow during cold nights and gave him comfort after having his nightmares.

Wolfie became Link’s rock, something that helped keep him grounded. Even if it couldn’t truly chase away all his turmoils, having both him and the mysterious presence watching over him gave Link strength. Something that he would forever be grateful for.

Maybe Link would be able to make it through this after all.

* * *

The time for battle was fast approaching.

Link had done nearly everything he needed in order preparation. The Divine Beasts were now freed. All hundred and twenty shrines had been completed. He even managed to regain fragments of his memory thanks to the clues left behind by the princess. All that was left to do was to take hold of the legendary sword that laid before him.

Standing before the pedestal, he could feel his heart beating quickly. Will the goddess even allow him to pull it? He knew his relationship with Hylia was strained and he also knew that she was aware of his resentment towards her. After all, he could sense her constantly watching him throughout his journey. Even now, her presence hung over him like a thick cloud, almost like she was waiting for something to go wrong. A part of him wouldn’t put it past her to end his life here and now for regretting her.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t being completely fair. Despite the tension, it did sometimes feel like she was trying to find ways to win his trust. Even going as far as gifting him with a horse. However, there was something holding him back from accepting her efforts. Something the phantom of his past self couldn’t forgive her for.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to think about that at the moment.

The Great Deku tree, as well as all the Koroks, were all waiting to see whether he would pull the sword or not. Even Wolfie was watching him carefully and gave a reassuring nod when Link glanced down at him. With a dry gulp, he hesitatingly stepped forward until he was standing perfectly in front of the sword.

“Prepare yourself before you take hold.” The Great Deku Tree warned.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. ‘Please stay with me.’ he prayed to the mysterious presence as the familiar warmth washed over him.

This was it, the moment of truth. Wrapping his hands around the blade’s hilt, he took another deep breath, and pulled.

* * *

Many things went through Link’s mind as he and Wolfie laid inside the small hollow underneath the Deku Tree. He thought about when he first awakened in this strange world. He thought about everything he had seen throughout his travels. He thought about Zelda and his fallen friends. He even thought about the goddess and how some things were finally starting to make a little bit of sense.

“Tomorrow, we’re leaving to head off towards the castle.” His voice came out as a soft whisper as he stared at the back of his right hand. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to defeat him on my own. So please, will you lend me your strength for a little longer?” He asked and was answered by the sound of soft chimes floating on the breeze outside. Link smiled at that before snuggling closer to Wolfie as sleep began to take hold of him.

_ ‘Thank you, Farore...’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically, before diving into the actual Linked Universe part of the story, I wanted to do a bit more set up. This chapter is more to show some key moments/thoughts Link had during the events of BOTW.
> 
> Actual story will start next chapter, but I hope you all still enjoy this.
> 
> Part of me does think this part should be a stand alone post, but I’m still going to keep it here.

**Author's Note:**

> First, I want to apologize for any grammar mistakes. Writing is not really my forte. Also, apologies for the blunt chapter ending.
> 
> Second, I wasn't sure whether to keep this as the prologue or make it an one-shot and continue the next chapter under different post. For now, I'm keeping it as the prologue.
> 
> This story is somewhat inspired by a tumblr post where someone asked "what if BOTW Link was Farore's choosen". It also is going to have some inspiration from the Wildling Hero AU by DreamHero. If you haven't already, please go check them out. I highly recommend their stories.


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